Fluid-meter piston and bearing



' Feb. 28, 1928. 1,660,446

w. s. HELTZEN FLUID METER PISTON AND BEARING Filed March 8. I926 ,Tm erifor. William dfllfzen Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

iJNiTEo stares TENT orrics.

WILLIAM S. HELTZEN, OF LOS ANGELES COUNQLY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO MARION G. HELTZEN, E LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

rents-Marian rrsron AND BEARING.

Application filed March 8, 1926. Serial No. 93,133.

This invention particularly pertains to a water meter of the type embodying a nutating piston and especially relates to the piston and the mounting therefor.

Y An object of the invention is to provide a construction in a meter of theabove type whereby itwill be rendered more durable and in which wearing surfaces of the piston and its bearings may be renewed withoutnecessitating renewal of the measuring chamber, as is now required in effecting re; placement of excessively worn bearing surfaces in meters now generallyin use and whereby worn pistons may be replaced by pistons of standard sizes.

Another object is to provide a nutating piston and a mounting therefonso formed as to be Wear resistant and embodying means for effecting lubrication of the wearing surface.

Another object is to provide av construction in a nutating piston whereby flushing of the bearing surfaces will be effected so as to prevent accumulation of grit on such surfaces, thereby minimizing grinding and wearing away of the bearing'surfaces as is ordinarily occasioned by the presence of granular par-' ticles in the fluid flowing through the meter.

A further object is to provide a nutating piston which is not subject to distortion or appreciable expansion or contraction under changes of temperature. 4

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the in vcntion residesgenerally in the provision of a demountable bearing for a mutating piston adapted to be readily removed and replaced, and in forming the nutating piston with a spherical hub having a lubricating material embodied therein, operable to effect lubrication of the bearing surface. The invention also resides in forming the piston with passages so arranged as to direct a portion of the fluid flowing through the meter to the bearing surfaces-in such manner as to effectflushing thereof.

The invention further resides in the parts, in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in Which:-

Fig. 1' is a piston;

(Fig. 2 is a view of a piston as transverse section;

Fig. 3 is a View in cross section of a meter measuring chamber, showing a nutating piston positioned therein together with renewable bearings;

Fig. 4 is a view .in horizontal section as seen on the line H of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a View in perspective of the upper bearing member with portions broken away; Fig. 6 isa perspective view of the lower bearing member with portions broken away.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the spherical hub;

Fig. 8 is a detail in cross section of the hub as seen on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 showing the lubricating element.

Referring to the drawings more specifically, 10 indicates a mutating piston which embodies acircular disk ll provided at its center. with a spherical hub 12; the disk projecting diametrically of the hub as is common in pistons of this character. The disk is here shown as fiat, but may be of any suitable coniiguration. The hub 12 is here shown as formed in two pieces, each of 9 which is in the shape of a segment of a sphere and provided with an opening 13 formed in the hub; the two halves of the sphere being positioned on opposite sides of the disk and connected together by a screw 14- having a head 15 countersunk in a recess 16 formed, in the lowermost sphere section, and which screw extends through the sphere and is formed with an end extension or stem 17 for actuating the usualregistering mech} anism, not necessary to be here shown. The hub and disk may, however, be formed integral but are preferably separable as here shown so as to permit renewal of the hub perspectiveview of a nutating seen in should occasion require, without necessitat- 7 ing renewal of the disk.

The nutating piston is arranged in a mess uring chamber 18 which embodies upper and lower members 19 and 20 forming an annular passage 21 extending around the spherical hub and across which the disk 11 extends.

' A partition 22 extends transversely across the passage 21 from the periphery of the spherical hubthrough an opening in the side wall of the passage which opening constitutes a fluid inlet 28 on one side of the partition 22 and a fluid outlet 2% on the opposit side thereof; the disk 11 being formed with a slot 25 into which the partition 22 extends as is common in fluid meters of this character.

The bottom wall of the passage 21 is formed by an upwardly projecting frustoconical wall 26 of the housing member 20 and the upper wall of the passage 21 is formed by a downwardly projecting frustoconical wall 27 of the housingmember 19.

An important feature of the present invention resides in providing the apex portions of the walls 26 and 27 with demountable socket bearings 28 and 29 respectively, in which the spherical hub of the piston seats and is supported for .IllltZt-tlll movement. The lower bearing 28 comprisesa cylindrical portion 30 having anoutwardly. projecting marginal flange 31 on its upper end, which cylindrical portion is adapted to be inserted in an opening 32 formed in thebottom wall 26 with the flange 31 seating on the margin ofsaid opening.

The upper face of the flange 31 is beveled so as to extend on an inclinationcorresponding to and in continuation of the inclined upper surface of the wall 26.

The upper bearing member 29 embodies an annulus 33 formed as which annulus is inserted in an opening 35 in thewall 2'!" with theflange s4 seating an the margin of the opening. The outer face of the flange 3 1 is beveled and extends in continuation of the inclined inner surface of the wall 27. The body portions of the bearing members 28 and 29 are preferably formed of a composition, such as bakelite,

and havetheir socket portions which receive pcripherial portions of a sphere lined with facings 36 and 37, respectively, formed of metal; the facing 36 in the lower socket member 28 being in the form of a segment of a sphere while the facing member 37 in the bearing 29 is annular and has itsouter surface concave and conformable to the peripheral surface of the spherical bearing. metallic facings 36 and 37 are embedded in the composition forming the body portions of the bearings.

The bearing members slidably fit the Open ings in the walls 27 and 28, which permits theirready removal and replacement.

Another important feature of this invention resides in forming the spherical bearings with a pair of passages 38 and v39 which lead diagonally through the spherical hub as particularly shown in Figs. 2

and 7, the lower end of the passage 38 opening adjacent the underside of the disk 11 and the upper end thereof opening adjacent the stem 17 at a point where on imparting nuta-v tive movement to the spherical hub it will be thereon. The upper end of with a marginal flange The presented to the bearing surface of the upper bearing 29so as shown in Fig. 3, to position the lower end of the passage 38 in communication with the annular passage 21, fluid entering the latter through the opening 23 will be directed through the passage 38 against the bearing surface and thereby elfecta flushing action the passage 39 opens adjacent the upper faceof the disk 11 and its lower end ispresented, to the bearing surface of the lower bearing member on the nutative movement of the hub member so that when the disk is disposed at an inclination opposite that shown in Fi 3, a portion of the fluid enteringthe passage Another important feature of the present invention resides in forming the spherical hub with a self-lubr1cating surface wh ch is here shown as accomplished by placinga series of plugs elO in recesses ll formed at that when the disk is inclined,

21 through the inlet 23 above the diskwill be directed appropriate points throughout the surface of the spherical hub, as particularly shown in Fig. 8; the plug 40 being preferably formed of lignum vitae, which material is especially desirable because of its extreme hardness and its oil constituent.

I claim 1. In a meter of the character described, ameasuring chamber having top and bottom walls, a socket bearing inthe bottom wall, an annular bearing in the top wall. a

nutating piston arranged in said chamber cluding a spherical. hub seating in said bearings, said hubheing formed with passages leading from the measuring chamber to the surfaces of said bearings.

2. In a meter of the character described, the combination of a measuring "chamber, a nutating piston therein including a spherical hub having recesses. bearings for saidf'huh den'iountably supported in said chamber, and a series of lignuin vitae plugs carried in the recesses of said hub arranged to'afi'ord lubri- "ation and wear resisting qualities of the bearing surfaces between the hub and bearing. y 3. In a meter of the character described,

a measuring chamber having top and bottom walls, a soclret bearing in thebottom wall, an annular bearing in the top wall, a nutating piston arranged in said chamber includ- 7 ing a spherical hub seating in said bearings,

said hub being formed with straight cylindrical passages leading from the measuring chamber to the surfaces of said bearings.

In testimony whereofI have affixed my signature.

WILLIAMS. HELTZEN; 

